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FindMySheep lifts the wool from over farmers' eyes with GPS tracking for livestock

FindMySheep, an M2M animal-tracking firm, has activated 12,000 Globalstar simplex transmitters and is using satellite data services to track sheep and cattle in Norway.

The company is also trialing collars monitoring cattle in Brazil and endangered species in North Africa. The ‘virtual shepherd’ collars are preventing lost livestock, with less attacked by predators through knowledge of grazing patterns. FindMySheep’s tracking collar uses Globalstar’s satellite network to geo-fence livestock.

The FindMySheep system also provides a data trail – based on tracking animals that produce the best quality meat – to determine the best grazing areas. “Each animal is worth hundreds or even thousands of Euros,” says Halvor Mjoen, FindMySheep’s founder. “Losing livestock to predators, or through illness, not only affects that year’s revenue, but can also have a profound impact on the quality of a farmer’s breeding foundation for years to come.”

STXII simplex transmitters can function in poor GPRS and GSM network coverage. FindMySheep chose the device for its size, ruggedness, good battery life and ease of integration. The company is also trialing Globalstar’s new STXIII chipset, which is a third of the size of the STXII, which it will migrate to for the grazing season in 2015.